


If You Have Nightmares, We'll Dance on the Bed.

by Hippiebuckyharrington



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Anal Fingering, Billy has an instagram, College AU, Developing Relationship, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Kissing, M/M, Modern AU, Mostly this is about Steve and Billy, Nightmares, Not Season 3 Compliant, Nursing major!Steve, Pining, Psych Major!Billy, Rimming, Smut, Steve is really thirsty for Billy, Texting, The Party makes an appearance at the end, petnames
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 00:47:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19734994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hippiebuckyharrington/pseuds/Hippiebuckyharrington
Summary: Steve is kinda fucked up from the Upside Down. He's escaped to go to school in California, but the events of that fall still haunt him. To the point where Steve hardly sleeps. He supposes adopting a gaggle of kids and fighting monsters with them will give anyone nightmares. The one thing that always chases the nightmares away: Billy Hargrove. Whether its looking at his Instagram and thirsting over him, or studying together, or anything else, Billy soothes the wild under his skin, and the panic in his head.Or: Five times Billy didn't know he was helping with Steve's nightmares, and the one time he does.





	If You Have Nightmares, We'll Dance on the Bed.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is 100% self indulgent, I just wanted Steve needing Billy's comfort. In this fic, Season three never happens, and everything from seasons 1 and 2 are the same, it just happened in the 2000s and not the 80s. I had a lot of fun writing this, and it got longer than I though it would, but I hope you all enjoy it.   
> Title comes from the song Guillotine by Jon Bellion and you all should listen to it!
> 
> Please let me know if I missed a tag!

5\. Steve sits bolt upright with a jolt, panting and clawing at his t-shirt. His eyes skitter around the room, taking in the curtains, the dresser, the open closet, and the pile of clothes in the corner. Everything appears normal, and Steve breathes out gently. His t-shirt is plastered to his chest with sweat, and he peels it off, throwing off the covers, and padding to the bathroom. 

He takes a shower, changes into clean pajamas, and crawls back into bed. He boots up his laptop and starts Hulu. He clicks on a random episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and settles against the pillows. 

He opens his phone and taps on Instagram. He pretends to scroll casually through it, browsing his timeline, but gives up the charade pretty quickly. He types in the user name quickly, he only has to get two letters typed in before it pulls up the account automatically. 

Steve will never tell anyone this, especially not his kids. Well, they aren't technically his, but they kinda are, in a way. He will never tell them this, but whenever Steve wakes up from a nightmare, about the Upside Down, and the flower faced bullshit monsters that tried to kill him and his kids, he looks at Billy Hargrove's Instagram. 

It’s his biggest shame, and his greatest guilty pleasure. Which sounds super gross, and he only gets off looking at the shirtless picks about half the time. 

He couldn't really tell you why he likes it so much when pressed. Hargrove mostly posts picture's about food, because he's extra like that (The food is aesthetic as fuck, and Billy is magic with filters and angles and captions so the pictures are real good, if real extra.), pictures of the beach, and plenty of selfies. 

Steve's favorites are the genuine smiling ones, Billy sprawled on a towel, sand in his hair, beaming up at his camera, with a caption that is just a sun emoji. Billy grinning over a cup of coffee, Billy grinning looking at the ocean while smoking, just Billy smiling really. 

Steve has go to pictures, depending on how bad the nightmare was, which is probably really creepy of him. But no one knows, and no one has to. 

This nightmare was really bad, one of the worst. He got there too late, and everyone was dead, or dying. But he woke up and was able to figure out where he is. Sometimes the nightmares bleed into reality and then an Instagram photo isn’t enough to relax him. Those nights he calls the kids and checks in, but tonight Billy on his phone screen is sufficient.

So, Steve scrolls down Billy's feed until he finds the picture. It's one of Steve's favorites.

It's a couple months old, and Billy is leaning against his car, a beat-up old thing he is ridiculously proud of, smoking. He's shirtless and you can see the ocean behind him, glittering. The cigarette is halfway to his mouth but he's laughing, nose a little scrunched, eyes a little crinkled, blonde curls a little damp and a little wild. He's glistening, golden, toned chest glowing, tight red swim trunks hugging his thighs. His other hand, the one without the cigarette is reaching for his curls, and it's so carelessly candid it almost looks staged.

It isn't, Steve has the caption memorized: _I wanna hate you for making me laugh, but I look decent in this picture so I guess it's ok._

He didn't give photo credits but Steve remembers the fling of the month from around that time, so he suspects it was that guy. Steve pretends, when the nightmare is bad, that he's the one who took the picture, that he lifted his phone, after a joke and a beach day and took that picture. 

That Billy was laughing at him. 

Steve admires the picture, glad he already liked it when it was posted so that he can swipe his thumb over the screen like the love sick fool he is. 

He scrolls on, because as good as that picture is, it isn't the one he wants. 

When he finds it, he sighs, and something inside unclenches, relaxes. 

Billy is clothed in this pic, barely, but still, Steve counts that as a win. Billy is posing at the Hawkins Community Pool, which tells you how old the picture is, given that Billy moved to California two years ago, so did Steve. (It's unrelated, he swears. The Instagram stalking started after they both wound up at the same school, thank you very much. It also helped that they wound up living on the same floor of their freshman dorm, and got to know each other.) 

Billy is on his bike in the photo, he's straddling it like he's about to get off of it, you know the kind of distracted way you hover on your bike? Maybe Steve is overthinking it. He's wearing black swim trunks with flowers on them and a white tank that says Lifeguard and Hawkins Pool. He's got old fashioned sunglasses, and a trucker hat that says the same thing as his shirt. His arms are mouthwatering, golden and thick and incredible. Steve has never seen someone who looks as good in the sun as Billy does. And it's not the golden hour shit Tina always talked about, Billy's best lighting is literally direct sun and he fucking knows it. 

His tattoo is visible too, just peaking around the curl of his right bicep, and the chain of his necklace naturally draws the eye to the neckline of his tank. The pendent disappears, nestled underneath the tank and between Billy's pecks, which are flexed with his pose, leaning on the handle bars of the red bike. The swim trunks hug his thighs and yeah, Steve is hella thirsty for this picture. 

Which is really creepy, and pathetic, because Steve knows he's bi, has since high school (Billy may have been the cause of that awakening when he rolled into Hawkins with his too tight jeans and perpetually unbuttoned shirts like he's straight outta the 80s or something, like seriously how does that work for him??). But no one really knows, he's not out to very many people. He probably should be, and the guys he's hooked up with at clubs and bars obviously know he's into men, but like his college friends don't know. His high school ones do, like the Party knows, but that’s only because Tommy H. spread a rumor. A very true rumor. 

And it's not just that he wants to throw Billy on his bed and fuck him into tomorrow, although he really wants to do that, like really wants to. Billy's only gotten more ripped since high school, and while his personality has mellowed out, his edges blunted and less sharp, he still could win in nearly any fight. But that’s not all of it. 

So yeah Steve wants to raw him, but he also wants Billy to hold him and make the scary go away. Which is embarrassing, but he wants it. So so badly. He also wants to make the horrors that plague Billy go away in his arms too, because everyone from Hawkins is a little haunted, and one of his kids happens to be Billy's step sister so he knows some shit. 

He wants to hear Billy’s dreams, and tell Billy his. He wants to be the one on his Instagram, smiling over food, or taking candid pictures of Billy at the beach. He wants to hold his hand, and hug him, go home to Hawkins with him and sit in the passenger side of his car. Basically, Steve wants to date the fuck outta Billy Hargrove. 

Steve keeps staring at the photo, and laughs at the caption to this picture every damn time he looks at it, still. It's so stupid, but Steve chuckles every single time: _Punk ass kids, no running by the pool. I just wanna go home._ Like what the fuck kinda caption is that, but it’s also hilarious and Steve loves it. 

He smiles and just stares at the picture. When it's sufficiently burned into his eyes, he turns down the volume on the show, and snuggles into bed, pretending those golden arms are winding around him, easing him back to sleep. 

Did Steve mention that he and Billy are neighbors? No? Neat, they are. 

Billy and a chick from his major rent the apartment directly across the hall from Steve. There are only four apartments on each floor, two one bedrooms and two two bedrooms. Steve has one of the one bedrooms, because waking up screaming doesn't lend itself well to having roommates. And being alone helps him work through his anxiety, less sounds to identify in the middle of the night. 

In spite of his ritual of pretending to fall asleep in Hargrove's arms, he sleeps like shit more often than not. So, he's bleary eyed and fumbling for his keys when Billy also exits his apartment. 

"Jesus Harrington, just getting in?" He teases. Steve sighs and glares at him halfheartedly. 

"Ha ha, Hargrove, very funny. We have the same class today and you know I never miss, so no I'm not just getting home." Steve grumbles. Billy laughs and leans against the wall next to the stairwell, waiting for Steve to finally lock his apartment. Steve rubs his temples as they start down the stairs together. 

"Rough night?" Billy asks, because they are kinda sorta friends and it's weird. 

"Just didn't sleep well." Steve murmurs and offers a weak smile. Billy eyes him for a moment as they round a landing and continue downstairs to the bus stop, but then shrugs and launches into some story about the party he went to Saturday night, which Steve laughs at despite his exhaustion. 

On the bus, Billy sits too close like always, and his knee presses into Steve’s. Steve slumps in the seat, and leans his knee against Billy’s. He lets the heat of the other man, and then idle chatter he’s keeping up, ease his tiredness some. By the time he’s sitting down in class, Steve is smiling for real. 

4\. Steve is a nursing major at UCLA and Billy is a psych major. They both are required to take some unrelated science classes for their gen eds, and they ended up in the same Intro to Physical Geography class. Which they both thought would be stupid easy, but is actually really hard. It's their only class together, and they sit by each other because they are the only people the other knows in that class, and again, it's hard as shit. 

It's also at 9am Monday-Friday for an hour and fifteen minutes, with a three-hour lab every Wednesday. It's fucking Geography, how is it this intense? And also, who in the hell majors in this shit? Anyway. 

They don't always walk to class together, more often than not they don't actually. Steve usually gets to campus at 8 to do some studying and to not just sit in his apartment. He’s awake anyway. 

"Harrington!" Billy calls after class, on a mild LA Wednesday. Steve is coming off a sleepless night and the mild anxiety of college in general. 

"Hargrove, I have a class in ten minutes, across campus in the nursing building, what?" Steve gripes, even as he stops walking. 

"Yeah yeah, I'll talk fast." Billy says, jogging a bit to catch up, he was fliting with some guy and Steve left the room before him, not wanting to see Billy putting the moves on some guy. "So, I'm like drowning in this class, and my roommate, Liz, ya know, tall, blonde, hella gay?" Billy says unnecessarily. Steve nods, and motions for him to keep going, he knows Liz, everyone probably knows Liz. She goes to more parties than classes, but Steve tries not to judge. 

"She just told me that her out of town, off again, on again whatever the fuck they are, is gonna be in town, and they are gonna, and I quote: 'Just go fucking nuts on each other' and I really don't need to be there for that. So, I was wondering if after lab tonight we could study at your place? I'll buy pizza and beer?" Billy asks. 

Steve frowns, he really should say no, but they have an exam on Monday, and he's got two practical’s in his nursing class that same day, and he’s got volunteer hours at the hospital all weekend, and study group for his nursing research class tomorrow and Friday, so really tonight is the best time to study for Geo, and Billy really shouldn't be home, he gets that. 

"Sure. Uh, does 9 work? I should really clean after lab." Steve says, checking his watch. Billy nods. 

"Perfect! See ya in lab!" He says, and then he jogs off to his next class leaving Steve to do the same. 

Steve and Billy don't work together in lab, because their stupid teacher assigned them stupid lab partners, so Steve works with some hippie chick who is way too into the class, but insists on doing most of the lab because "It's like stupid easy Steve." They always finish in the first two hours of lab, along with the other kids who are majoring in Geography (again, why would anyone major in this?), so Steve gets out of lab at 8, when Billy isn't even close to done. 

He catches the bus back to their apartment complex and then dashes up the stairs. He never has people over, which means the place is a mess. 

He spends the next hour running around his place, shoving laundry and shit back into his bedroom and closing the door, making sure the bathroom and kitchen are not as disgusting as they could be and clearing off the couch so Billy can sit. 

There's a knock at the door a promptly 9 and Steve takes a deep breath before opening the door.  
Billy grins at him and sweeps into the room, balancing two pizza boxes and a six pack of beer in his arms. 

"Thank God Dr. B. cancelled class tomorrow." Billy says, and sets the food on the coffee table. 

Steve nods enthusiastically and grabs plates and napkins. He's gonna have to do dishes tomorrow, or maybe tonight when Billy leaves, and the insomnia gets bad, he can already feel it under his skin, sleep won't come easy tonight. 

Billy brought pizza from Paradox Pizza, the best pizza place on the planet, and got a cheese and pepperoni pizza. They both heap their plates, grab a beer and settle onto opposite ends of the couch. 

Steve opens his book and his notes and flips to the start of the chapter that is the first on the test. 

"Ok, what’s an arete?" Steve says, around a mouth full of pizza. 

"It’s the amphitheater shaped place where a glacier starts." Billy says, eyes scrunched as he thinks. Steve shakes his head. 

"That’s a cirque, an Arete is the ridge between two valleys carved by glaciers." Steve corrects. 

"Mother fuck." Billy says, and thumps his head onto the back of the couch. 

They continue like this for two hours, quizzing each other and drawing diagrams, and eating all the pizza and drinking most of the beer. They each have two and a half beers, which isn't enough to get either of them even tipsy, but Steve feels a little looser, a little more relaxed than he normally does. He isn’t sure if that’s Billy or if that’s the booze. 

"Dude, I can't. If you say one more thing about glaciers, I'm gonna scream!" Billy cries, snapping his text book closed. "This is why I’m a psych major. Let's watch a movie or something, Liz is still in bone town so I cannot go home." 

Steve laughs, packing up his study things and then flicks off the overhead light, leaving just the end table light. The room feels cozier somehow and Steve smiles a little. Billy browses his movies, and then launches Netflix. Steve thinks maybe he should be annoyed by the fact that Billy is just helping himself, but he is full and sleepy and doesn't really care. 

Billy settles on some murder doc, and they both curl into the couch. 

“Why are you a psych major?” Steve asks, as the episode starts. 

“I’ve never told you?” Billy asks, Steve shakes his head. They study together a lot, and talk all the way through Geo most mornings, but they haven’t talked about this. 

“I want to be a counselor, I wanna help abused kids.” Billy says. 

“Like you?” Steve whispers. 

Billy looks at him, frowns slightly. “I always knew Max told you. Yeah, I wished someone had been there, someone who wasn’t a cop who could have seen me drowning and helped. I also want to help LGBTQ+ kids, with shit parents.”

“That’s really cool.” Steve says, and means it. Billy grins. 

“Why you wanna be a nurse?” Billy asks. Steve smiles. 

“My kids got really hurt one time, and I patched most of them up, but Dustin needed stitches. I took him to the hospital, and this incredibly nice guy came in and gave him stitches. Dustin said it hardly hurt. I was in awe. I wanted to patch people up, to be that like warm presence when someone is scared, to help them.” Steve says, blushing slightly. But Billy is just watching him, something unreadable in those blue eyes. 

“That’s real cool Harrington. Look at us, helping people.” Billy says. Steve smiles. They lapse into silence after that. 

Steve curls up under a blanket and they both turn their attention back to the TV, the AC humming in the corner. He laughs when Billy comments, saying things like "Man, I'd fuck Ted Bundy." or "Bro, how do you let a mass murder escape prison twice! Punk ass cops!" It's easy, and fun, and Steve gets so relaxed he drops off to sleep. 

He only knows that because he wakes up to his phone alarm blaring on the coffee table. He blinks groggily around, he's on the couch, tucked under a blanket, and he's alone. There's a note on the coffee table, tucked under his phone. 

You looked so peaceful pretty boy, I didn’t wanna wake you. I did finish that Ted Bundy show, and you missed several witty comments. Pity that. Thanks for studying. :) 

Steve blinks, and tries to remember the last time he slept through the night. He can't and feels a squeeze of panic when he realizes that maybe having Billy around when he sleeps is the only thing to chase off the nightmares. 

3\. _His lungs burn, his legs ache, but a few more steps, a few more paces and he will reach them.  
"Steve, please!" Max shrieks, and Steve grits his teeth. _

_"Max, I'm coming!" Steve cries, but the wind tears the voice from his throat. Max looks around wildly and pulls the broken, bleeding figure on the ground in front of her closer._

_"Steve! Where are you? I thought you cared!" She screams, and tears spill from her eyes. Steve reaches for her, but trees snare his clothes, his skin, and dark shapes loom in the spaces between them, moving forward._

_Steve can tell that the person Max is clutching is Billy, and Billy is bleeding, dying._

_"Billy! No!" Steve screams, and his heart is pounding. If he can just push forward, just make it this last few feet he can get his bat and fight off the monsters, and save them._

_A bird in the tree currently trapping him, makes a musical tone, a few notes and cocks its head at him._

_Steve screams, in panic, and then there is that noise again, unnatural. Not a sound the bird should make._

Steve opens his eyes, and glances around. He's at home, in his bed, and his phone, on the nightstand is going nuts, buzzing and chiming as Steve gets a thousand texts. Steve frowns and reaches for the phone, trying to untangle himself from the sheets. 

_//From Unknown #: Steve_  
//From Unknown #: Steeeeeeevvvvvveeeee  
//From Unknown #: I'm a little drunk  
//From Unknown #: It's rude to ignore people  
//From Unknown #: Steveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeebth oiwl  
//From Unknown #: These keys are little, letters are hard  
//From Unknown #: You ever listen to the Scorpions?  
//From Unknown #: You should  
//From Unknown #: Steve  
//From Unknown #: Steve  
//From Unknown #: S  
//From Unknown #: T  
//From Unknown #: E  
//From Unknown #: V  
//From Unknown #: E  
//From Unknown #: !  
//From Unknown #:!  
//From Unknown #: It's a Friday night, are you really lame enough to be sleeping? 

Steve blinks a little groggily at the texts and frowns, who the hell texts like this. Like seriously, what the fuck. All of the texts are only a minute apart at best, a few seconds apart at worst. Steve frowns. The texts have stopped. 

_//From Unknown #: Your read receipts are on pretty boy_  
//From Unknown #: Now that I have your attention…  
//From Unknown #: Hi 

Steve frowns deeper. Later, he will blame his obliviousness as to who this person is on the fact that his brain is still replaying the picture of Billy's broken body that Steve couldn't get to. (Only one person has ever called him pretty boy, come on Harrington!) 

_//To unknown #: Who this_

He sits, up, feeling his phone buzz multiple times as he adjusts the pillows and leans back against the head board. 

_//From Unknown #: Wow_  
//From Unknown #: Rude  
//From Unknown #: I thought we were friends  
//From Unknown #: How dare you not save my number  
//From Unknown #: I thought we had something special  
//From Unsaved #: But I guess I was wrong 

_//to Unsaved #: Sorry, your number isn't saved. Also, come on, just send one damn message_

_//From Unsaved #: That takes away all the drama_  
//From Unsaved #: and the annoyance  
//From Unsaved #: and mmmmmm drunk  
//From Unsaved #: words are hard  
//From Unsaved #: rude 

_//to Unsaved #: Last chance, or I'm turning my phone off and blocking your number_

_//From Unsaved #: awwww lammme_  
//From Unsaved #: thought you were more fun than this Pretty Boy  
//From Unsaved #: It's Billy 

Steve's heart nearly stops at that. How the hell did Billy get his number? And why is Steve the one Billy is drunk texting. 

_//To Unsaved #: Hargrove? How the hell did you get my #?_

_//From Unsaved #: Aww shucks Harrington_  
//From Unsaved #: I thought we were on a first name basis  
//From Unsaved #: When you were sleeping last week, I may have opened your UNLOCKED phone and found your number.  
//From Unsaved #: Not my proudest moment  
//From Unsaved #: but I waited a week to use it!! 

Steve blinks and shakes his head. Leave it to Billy. But he's not mad, not really. He doesn't have a passcode, they get in his way, and he lives alone, so who's gonna snoop? Billy apparently. Steve finds himself smiling down at his phone though, like really who snoops through a phone for someone’s number? It's kinda sweet, in a weird way that is all Billy. 

Steve makes a few taps on his phones and saves Billy's number. 

_//to Billy Hargrove: Did you snoop through anything else Hargrove?_

_//from Billy Hargrove: I am offended_  
//from Billy Hargrove: I am no snoop  
//from Billy Hargrove: Except when you're asleep apparently  
//from Billy Hargrove: but I just wanted your number  
//from Billy Hargrove: Max wouldn't give it to me  
//from Billy Hargrove: said it was an invasion of privacy  
//from Billy Hargrove: so I snooped, and found it  
//from Billy Hargrove: :) 

Steve laughs, Billy is one of those strangely coherent drunks it seems, but who seems to have missed the hilarity of saying invasion of privacy and then snooping through Steve's phone while he was sleeping. 

_//to Billy Hargrove: Ah, yes, snooping through my phone while I'm sleeping after studying and stealing my number, then texting me in the middle of the night while drunk a week later is definitely not an invasion of privacy._

_//from Billy Hargrove: See!  
//from Billy Hargrove: This guy gets it!_

Steve chuckles again. 

_//to Billy Hargrove: So, any reason you are blowing up my phone in the middle of the night while drunk?_

_//from Billy Hargrove: I’m bored._  
//from Billy Hargrove: Liz is making out with someone  
//from Billy Hargrove: and this party sucks and mmm alone 

Steve hesitates for a minute. 

_//to Billy Hargrove: want me to come get you?_

Billy takes a while to respond, and Steve anxiously chews his lip. Maybe he over stepped, and Billy just wanted to text. But then his phone chimes again. 

_Billy Hargrove shared their location with you_

The notification flashes on the top of his screen and Steve grins. He scrambles out of bed and finds some jeans that don’t smell too much. 

_//to Billy Hargrove: I’ll be there in twenty._

_//from Billy Hargrove: see you soon pretty boy._

Steve pulls on the jeans and yanks a hoodie over his sleep shirt. He slips on a pair of flip flops, and pauses in the bathroom to check his hair. It’s a mess, but not necessarily in a bad way. Besides, it’s midnight, not like anyone is gonna judge him. 

He grabs his keys and wallet and heads out of the apartment. Their building is mostly students because of how close to campus it is, so on a Friday night it is deathly silent, Steve is probably one of the only students still here honestly. 

He hops in his car, starts the engine, and has the GPS start the route to Billy. The drive takes around 15 minutes, and when Steve gets there, he parks near the curb and follows the thumping music into the house. 

It’s a frat house, on the other side of campus from his apartment and is packed with drunk twenty somethings. He spots Liz, on the couch in the living room, making out with some girl with a shaved head. 

“Liz!” Steve says, and picks his way over to her. “Liz!!” 

“Jesus, what?! Oh. Hey Steve. Didn’t know you were coming.” Liz says, eyes a little bleary. The girl she was kissing starts kissing down her neck and Liz’s eyes go a little out of focus. 

“Billy texted me. He’s pretty drunk. You know where he is?” Steve asks. 

“Awww. That’s adorable. Yeah, last I saw he was outside smoking.” She says, and goes back to the girl. 

Steve elbows past some people and makes is way out to the back deck. A few people are out in the yard standing near a fire pit, talking and sharing several joints. Billy is slumped in one of the chairs on the deck, lazily staring up at the stars. 

“Hey Billy.” Steve says, softly, hovering in Billy’s field of vision. 

“Stevie! You came!” Billy crows happily. Steve smiles a little. 

“I said I was gonna.” Steve says, and gently takes Billy’s cup from him. 

Billy gasps, suddenly and struggles to sit up. “Pretty boy! I want Taco Bell! They have cheese!” Billy says, and grabs at Steve. Steve chuckles and grabs Billy’s flailing hand. 

“I could go for some Taco Bell.” Steve says, and flushes a little when Billy turns a blinding smile at him. 

“Let’s go then!” Billy says, and then lurches forward. He pauses for a minute. “I need help.” 

Steve laughs and reaches for Billy. He crouches down and gets Billy’s arm over his shoulders and hauls him to his feet. 

“Hey Hargrove! That your boyfriend?” Someone calls from near the fire, and there are several cheers and chuckles from the other people. 

“Hah! I wish!” Billy says, and then sways into Steve a little. Steve struggles to keep him upright, and then blinks down at Billy who is smiling up at him. He want’s to ask about the I wish, Billy just said, but Billy is grinning at him and using him for support so he decides to let it slide.

“Come on. Let’s get you home.” Steve says, and starts to steer Billy back toward the house. 

“No! You promised Taco Bell! Pretty boyyyyyyyyy!” Billy groans. Steve laughs. 

“I didn’t promise shit.” Steve mutters, and tows Billy through the house. Liz is still on the couch. 

“Liz, I’m taking Billy home.” He calls at her. She doesn’t separate from the girl but gives him a thumbs up. 

Billy stumbles a few times, and giggles when he clings to Steve. They eventually reach Steve’s car, and Steve dumps Billy in the passenger seat. He buckles him in and then climbs into the driver’s seat. 

“Taco Bell, Taco Bell!” Billy chants when Steve starts the engine. Steve laughs and drives toward the Taco Bell.

They opt for the drive-thru because Billy is drunk enough to be a pain trying to get him inside. There’s an SUV in front of them, ordering what sounds like a mountain of food, and Steve can see what looks like a thousand kids in the back. 

“What you want Bills?” Steve asks. 

“Bills? Awww baby we on to nick names now?” Billy croons. Steve rolls his eyes, fighting down a blush.

“Shut up. What you want?” He asks again. 

“Nacho fries box!” Billy cries. Steve chuckles and watches as Billy bounces in the seat. 

It strikes him as he looks at Billy, pawing at his hair to get it out of his face, and looking eagerly at the menu, that they never really hang out like this. That he didn’t know he was someone Billy wanted to drunk text. It’s nice though. 

Billy has a way of demanding attention, of filling the corners of a space with his energy. It’s muted, sorta muffled in class rooms and parties, but here, in the quiet of Steve’s way too expensive car, with the radio on low in the background, and just the two of them, Billy fills it up.

Fill ups the car with the smell of his weird cigarettes, (he claims they are classier than menthols, but Steve thinks they are just unnecessarily smelly) his cologne, and the alcohol spilled on his shirt. But he also fills it with something more than his scent, his presence and his personality rolling off of him and out into the car, wrapping around Steve like a hug. 

Steve is kinda addicted to it. To the way Billy chases the things skittering under his skin away, the lingering anxiety kinda settles, sighs, around Billy. God, he really loves this guy, and it’s a sobering realization. 

He’s shaken from his thoughts by their turn to order. 

“Two Nacho fries boxes please.” Steve says. 

“What do you want to drink?” The worker says. 

“Mountain Dew!” Billy cries. 

“A mountain dew and a sierra mist.” Steve says. 

The attendant reads out their total and they drive ahead. He pays for their food and accepts the paper bag the attendant hands him. He passes Billy his drink when it’s handed to them, and they drive off. 

Billy curls his hands around the drink and takes a long sip of it. Steve glances at him and makes a snap decision. 

Steve hands Billy his nacho fries box with a stern “You get cheese in my car Hargrove and I swear, I’ll end you.” Which just makes Billy laugh and make grabby hands at his food. 

With Billy munching away, Steve heads away from campus. This time of night traffic isn’t terrible but it still exists, and Steve keeps sneaking glances at Billy, worried he’ll be mad. But Billy is happily munching away on a burrito, watching the lights and palm trees passing. 

They arrive at the public beach and pull into the nearly empty parking lot. Steve parks the car, and rolls the windows down. He then starts in on his own food and doesn’t say anything. 

“Holy shit. Harrington! We’re at the beach!” Billy says suddenly. Steve laughs. 

“Didn’t feel like going home. This ok?” Steve asks, around his bite of taco. Billy laughs. 

“I fuckin love the beach man!” Billy cries. Steve laughs, and goes back to his food. Billy steals a bunch of his nacho fries but Steve doesn’t really mind. When he’s done, he shoves their trash back in the bag and gets out of the car to walk it to the trash bin. 

Billy stumbles out of the car too and wanders over. He grins at Steve and then wanders closer to the waves. He sits down in the sand and Steve joins him. 

“Thanks for coming to get me.” Billy says. 

“You’re welcome.” Steve replies, watching the ocean. 

“Sorry I snooped and stole your number.” Billy says, and then flops on his back in the sand. Steve chuckles and follows suit. 

“I would have given it to you had you asked.” Steve says, turning his head to glance at Billy. 

“Really?” Billy says, turning to look at him too, eyes wide. Steve nods. 

“Yeah really.” Steve says. Billy smiles and looks back at the stars. 

“My mom used to take me star gazing on the beach. Not this one, but beaches all kinda look the same in the dark.” Billy says. “When my dad was really bad, she’d take me to the beach and make up stories about the stars. I’d fall asleep and then she’d drive me home.” 

Steve watches Billy, and wants to curl into his side, wants to brush his hair back. He doesn’t, but his fingers twitch with the aborted movement to touch Billy. 

They lie like that for a long time, talking about their moms, how much Billy misses his, every day, even after all the years since her death. How Steve wishes he had a mom who held him and instead he has Mrs. Harrington, the socialite who never wanted a kid. 

“I remember bragging to Tommy H. in elementary school about how I had the prettiest mom in the whole world.” Steve says, staring up at the stars. They can’t see many, light pollution is a thing, but there’s a few. “Tommy H. had hit me and called me a liar, said his was prettiest. But I remember going home on the bus, and Tommy had jumped off the bus and his mom was waiting for him. He gave her a big hug and she held his hand as they walked toward the house. I just had nannies waiting for me.” 

Billy is watching him, and Steve swallows the lump in his throat. 

“Moms should be there for their kids.” He says. Steve nods. 

“Yeah they should.” He replies, and its quiet for a second. Then Billy starts talking again, telling some story.

They talk about Hawkins, about the kids, about school, the future, and everything in between. Eventually they fall asleep, lying on the beach. 

They wake up, curled together and say nothing about it as they get up, brushing sand off their clothes and hair before getting back into Steve’s car. They drive in silence back to the apartments, stopping for coffee before stumbling home. 

_//from Billy Hargrove: Thanks for last night_  
//from Billy Hargrove: Stay golden pretty boy  
//from Billy Hargrove: see what I did there?  
//from Billy Hargrove: I'm hella clever 

_//to Billy Hargrove: Oh my god. Outsiders reference, really?_

_//from Billy Hargrove: You know you love me_

Steve smiles down at his phone, and sends the shrugging emoji. Billy sends back the laughing emoji. Steve smiles, and goes to take a shower, wondering if there is a casual way to ask your neighbor/crush/friend to go to the beach with you again in the middle of the night. 

2\. Steve rarely lets Nancy drag him to parties anymore. He's always so busy that getting drunk isn't really something he has time for anymore. But he's feeling a bit wrung out, so when she called saying that one of Jonathan's photography friends is throwing an absolute rager (her words, not his) at their house, Steve agrees to tag along. 

He's now pleasantly buzzed and is lounging in an arm chair watching a game of beer pong unfold in front of him. He's warm and tired, lazy, a general mood for the party around him. There are two people, Steve isn’t sure of their genders, lazily making out on the sofa next to his arm chair, stoned out of their minds. A guy, who Steve saw chugging Burnets straight from the bottle earlier, is passed out behind the sofa. 

Drunk and stoned students keep flitting in and out of the room, calling goodbyes to the beer pong players, or tugging each other up stairs to make out and fuck in guest rooms that aren’t theirs. A bong is circulating, but Steve declines it when the couple disconnects enough to pass it to him. They shrug and take a hit. 

One of the Burnets guy’s friends comes into the room and nudges him.

"You alive man?" She asks, sticking her blunt between her teeth. The guy grunts and she leaves to go back to the kitchen where people are playing some other drinking game. 

Steve stretches his foot out and nudges Nancy's calf with his bare toes. He isn't super sure where his shoes are. 

"Stevieeeeeeee." She wines, turning around. "I'm tryin ta playyyy." 

"I need a cig." He says, rolling his eyes. Nancy rolls hers right back and turns to the game. She finds a cigarette for him, bumming it from someone, and passes it to him. 

He parks it between his lips. "gotta light?" He mumbles to the room in general. 

He'd like to point out that he rarely smokes any more, he really just wants one when he's drunk, this easy loose relaxed drunk. (He’s not Billy, who smokes less than he did in high school, but still smokes a lot)

An ancient silver Zippo appears over his shoulder, flame already dancing. Steve blinks and then leans forward, lighting the cigarette. He takes a few puffs on it, and the lighter disappears back over his shoulder. 

"Ah, Billy! The place is gonna smell like smoke now!" One of Jonathan's hipster friend’s gripes, tossing the ping pong ball in a smooth arc into one of Nancy's teams cups and then crows triumphantly. 

"It already reeks of weed in here man, and someone threw up all over the bathroom down the hall." Billy, apparently, says. 

Steve leans back and savors his cigarette, glancing up. Billy is draped over the back of Steve's armchair, idly flicking his lighter between his fingers. Steve smiles a little blearily up at him.

"Billy!" He says. Billy grins.

"Heya Harrington. Havin a nice time?" Billy says. 

"Yes." Steve says, matter of factly. Billy chuckles.

"Wait, seriously, someone barfed?" The same dude snaps, and a ping pong ball hits him in the face. 

"Yeah man, it's rancid." Billy drawls, and then steals Steve's cigarette. 

"Hey! That's my guilt cigarette!" Steve snaps, swiping for it. Billy leans back, holding it out of reach and taking a long pull on it. 

"Here ya go, pretty boy. Calm down." Billy says, and sticks the smoke back between Steve's lips. Steve smiles and then leans back to take another few pulls. 

The hipster guy seems to have forgotten about the puke drenched bathroom, and turns back to his game. Steve can't really tell if Nancy and Jonathon are winning, but he's not sure he cares. He easily drops back into the haze he had been lolling in before Billy showed up. He loses track of Billy too, and focuses on his cigarette, when that one is down to the filter, someone supplies another, and he gratefully takes it. 

The couple on the couch unfolds and drift off, and the Burnets guy’s friends heave him up between them and they leave. The beer pong game breaks up, the hipster friends muttering something about how boring hetero sex is and should they maybe just hook up with each other. Jonathan tucks Nancy into his side, and heads for the stairs after his friends. 

"You'll get him home? Or y'all can crash here. Everyone else is gone, Hunter did a sweep." Jonathan says. Steve frowns, and cocks his head at Jonathan, who should he be getting home?

"Yeah man, I'll make sure he doesn't die." A low smooth voice says behind him. 

"Thanks." Jonathan says and then he and Nancy head upstairs. They turn off the lights on their ways, so the only one left is a floor lamp glowing next to Steve's chair. The second their door clicks shut upstairs; Billy is suddenly in front of him. 

Steve blinks. "Hey Billy." He says softly, in an exhale of smoke. 

"Heya Steve." Billy says gently. Billy is crouched in front of him, hands on the arms of the chair. They just look at each other for a moment, Steve finishes his cigarette and snubs out the butt in the ash tray someone perched near his elbow. 

"Your legs are gonna cramp, squatting like that." Steve slurs, feeling bold, in the dimly lit room, with alcohol in his veins. 

"You gotta better place for me to sit?" Billy says, always a challenge. 

Steve hesitates for a moment, and has that revelation drunk people sometimes do. He's just drunk enough that his inhibition is lowered, but not so drunk that he's out of control. He can reasonably say something risky, and pass it off as drunkenness later if it back fires. So, he leans back and uncrosses his legs, jostling Billy slightly. 

"You could sit here." Steve says, quietly. 

"Pretty boy…" Billy breathes, an unspoken question hanging in the air. Steve just smiles a little, and then suddenly he has a lapful of Billy. 

Billy carefully settles himself on Steve's thighs, one of his legs on either side of Steve's. He gently brushes his hands through Steve's hair, combing it out of his face. Steve's hands automatically come up to Billy's hips. 

"How stoned are you?" Billy asks. 

"Not even slightly. I'm a little drunk." Steve whispers. 

"How drunk?" Billy asks, and then licks his lips. 

"Not too drunk for you to kiss me." Steve whispers, and prays to some random deity/higher power that he's read this right. Billy searches his face for a moment, and then leans closer, slowly. Steve tilts his head back and holds his breath. 

Billy connects their lips in a chaste, gentle kiss. Steve allows that for all of 10 seconds before he slides his hands up Billy's back and tugs him closer. Billy groans, and fists his hands in Steve's hair, opening his mouth to Steve's probing tongue. 

Steve almost wishes he was watching this, instead of participating. Because he can only imagine how hot Billy looks like this, straddling Steve's lap and kissing the living daylights out of him. 

Steve forgets all that though when Billy tugs on his hair. Steve groans and slides a hand up into Billy's curls, the other sliding down to palm over Billy's unbelievable ass. 

"Harrington." Billy pants, breaking the kiss a bit. 

"Last names again? After my tongue was down your throat?" Steve pouts. Billy laughs, and then leans down, and devours Steve's mouth again. 

Steve leans back against the back of the chair, tugging Billy with him. 

He can't really decide if he wants to puts his hands in Billy’s hair or on his ass, because both are glorious, and splitting the difference isn't enough. 

Billy breaks the kiss to lean down and kiss along Steve's jaw and down his neck.

"Didn't know you were into dudes, Steve." Billy mumbles. 

"Who says I am?" Steve says, because it's too easy sometimes. 

Billy grinds his hips down, and their erections press together through their jeans. Steve gasps, and his mind blanks as Billy trails a hand down his chest to the button on his pants. 

"Little Steve says you are." Billy snarks, and then undoes the button and fly on Steve's pants.

He reaches in and palms Steve through his boxers, which makes Steve arch his back. "Or should I say, Big Steve. Damn Harrington, who knew you were hung?" Billy croons and adds some pressure to his hand. Steve keens and fumbles with the closure on Billy's pants.

Billy is commando, which would normally make Steve laugh, but right now it's just hot. He wraps his hand around Billy's molten hot, hard length and they both moan. 

"Pretty boy, you been with other guys?" Billy pants against Steve's mouth, fingers trailing inside Steve's boxers. 

"Yeah, a few. You?" Steve asks, even though he knows the answer. 

"A few." Billy says, Steve would laugh, it’s more than a few, but Billy lifts Steve from his pants. He bats Steve's hands away, and takes them both in hand. Steve groans, throwing his head back. 

"Never… ah… never done this before." Steve pants. Billy laughs, and licks his palm, slicking it up, before reaching between them and taking them both up again. 

It's so good, so delicious. Steve winds his hands into Billy's hair and brings him in for another kiss, before just leaning their foreheads together, Billy's breath coming in sharp puffs against his lips. Steve's hips jerk, and Billy groans again. He starts working his fist faster, and faster.

"Billy…" Steve pants. 

"Come on pretty boy. Come for me baby." Billy huffs, and Steve does. Throws back his head and gasps, spilling hot over Billy's fist and cock. Billy groans and a few more pumps later, he also comes. 

It takes them a few minutes of panting to come back to themselves. Billy has slumped forward against Steve's chest and is snuggled into Steve's neck. 

"You tell anyone I cuddled you, and you're dead." Billy grumbles, and Steve just chuckles. 

He brings his hands up and gently rubs Billy's back. Billy tucks them both away, before curling closer, wiping his messy hand on Steve's shirt. Steve would complain, but Billy is a warm solid weight on him, and it's wonderful. 

He tucks his nose into Billy's curls, and breathes deep. Billy lets out a soft snore, and Steve hides a grin in his hair. 

Steve wakes up in the arm chair, alone, with a pounding headache and a very dry mouth. He shifts groggily and glances at the clock on the mantle. It's just after six am and the house is quiet. Steve sits up and pads through the house, searching for his shoes.

He doesn't find them, which is a shame, but not the first time he's lost a good pair of Sperrys at a party. He does find a pair of those cheap Walmart flip flops by the back door and slides them on. 

There is a bus stop about two blocks from Jonathan’s house, and Steve walks through the early morning haze towards it. Billy's car isn't parked out front, and Steve swallows the slight pain he feels at being left alone after last night. 

The bus shows up right as Steve does, and he slumps into the seat on the ten-minute ride to his apartment. He chuckles idly at the fact that all of them weirdly ended up in California and how glad he is that his best friends all made it here. Shared trauma and all that has kept Jonathan, Nancy and him all close, and Billy belongs here, in Cali. So, it just makes sense, Steve guesses, that the four of them are still together, just in a much bigger city. 

He climbs the stairs of his apartment, already fumbling with his keys, and glances at Billy's apartment. His roommate, Liz is just leaving, turning to lock up. 

"Liz. Hey!" Steve says, and waves when she sees him. 

"'sup, Harrington. Rough night?" She asks, grinning at his disheveled appearance and his hungover vibe. 

"I slept in a chair." Steve grumbles. Liz laughs.

"Yeah, Billy got in like an hour ago, reeking of cigarettes. Idiot was chain smoking again." Liz says fondly. Steve breathes a small sigh of relief, glad that Billy got home safe. 

"Doesn't surprise me." Steve says, scrubbing his face. Liz grins and heads toward the stairs. 

"Sleep it off Harrington. Wish me luck! I'm off to pretend I like running because the girl at the gym is so hot it makes my knees weak." Liz says, and then jogs down the stairs. 

Steve laughs, and unlocks his own apartment. He kicks off the flip flops and stumbles to his room. He plugs his phone in, strips out of his shirt and pants, and falls into bed in just his boxers, and passes out. 

When he wakes up, he realizes that he didn't have a single nightmare, even after sleeping all day. 

1\. Steve wakes up with a jolt again, face wet with tears. He sighs and scrubs his face with his hands. He really wishes this would just stop, but no amounts of therapy, dream journals, weed, or whatever chase away the nightmares. The only thing that does is Billy. 

Which is bullshit. And humiliating. 

Well, not humiliating because Billy doesn't know that's why Steve booty calls him. That when Steve wakes up crying, or screaming, or gasping, he washes his face, changes his shirt, and calls Billy. And Billy comes over and blows him, or lets him pound him into the mattress, or kisses him hot and dirty up against the wall. 

Steve hates it, because since the party, they hook up all the time. All the time. It's just sex, he knows that. But damn it if he doesn't go weak when Billy smiles at him in Geo, or winks at him in the hall of their apartment building. 

And don't get him started on the other boy's stupid ass tongue. 

But he wants more, and isn’t sure how to ask for that, how to even bring it up. 

He debates for a moment not calling Billy, but he's shaking and scared and needs that hard, golden body beneath him. Steve hauls himself out of bed and strips out of his sweaty shirt before stumbling to the bathroom and washing his face quickly. He goes to his front door, unlocks it and then crawls into bed. He thumbs open Billy's contact and hits call. 

"Harrington!" Billy croons. Steve smiles, and instantly relaxes. 

"Hey Billy." 

"What's up, pretty boy? Miss me?" Billy asks. 

"Yes. You gonna come over?" Steve asks. There's a minor scuffle on Billy's end. 

"Hi Steve. How horny are you?" Liz says, and Billy is shrieking in the background. Steve laughs. 

"Hi Lizzie." Steve chuckles. 

"Ugh. Don't call me that. No one calls me that!" She cries.

"Hot gym girl does!" Billy yells, and Steve hears Liz throw something at him. He laughs. 

"Liz, as lovely as it is to talk to ya, can you put Billy back on?" Steve asks. 

"No, but he's on his way over, I assume your door is open?" Liz says, the eye roll audible.

"Yep. Thanks Liz." 

"Yeah yeah. Bye Stevie." She says, and then the line goes dead. 

A minute later, Steve hears his front door open, and shut. There's the sound of the lock turning and then Steve's bedroom door creaks open. 

"Heya pretty boy." Billy says, closing the door, kicking off his shoes and climbing on the bed.

Steve leans back against the covers, and lets Billy lie down between his legs, chin propped on Steve's chest. Steve combs fingers through Billy's hair, wondering in a distant part of his mind if fuck buddies are always this soft with each other. 

"Hi." He breathes. Billy hums and closes his eyes, leaning into Steve's hands. 

Steve hopes he ignores the tremble in them. 

It's January, and Christmas break was hell. Steve didn't sleep at all, because there was no Billy to chase the nightmares away with his tongue. Steve had looked at his insta and texted him, but it's not the same. 

Spring semester started a week ago, and Steve has seen Billy nearly every night. 

"You ok?" Billy asks, voice a low rumble. 

"Yeah." He whispers. Billy looks at him for a moment, and then leans up and kisses him. Steve growls and flips them in the bed, kicking down the blankets. 

He settles into the v of Billy's hips and kisses down his neck. 

"Not… ah… Not that I'm complainin' Steve, but is there a reason you have booty…. oh… booty called me every night this week?" Billy pants, grinding his hips up. 

"Missed you. Need you." Steve mouths into his neck, and Billy shuts up as Steve works down his body, pulling at his clothes. 

He takes one of Billy's nipples into his mouth and sucks on it. Billy keens, arching into the touch, and threads his fingers into Steve's hair. 

"You… uh wanna fuck me tonight?" Billy pants. Steve works his way back up to Billy's mouth. 

"What do you want, Billy?" Steve whispers. 

Billy looks up at him, and trails his fingers down Steve's cheek. Something flares in his eyes, and Steve for one wild moment thinks Billy will say something wild, and romantic, like he only wants Steve, or to date, to love him, something like that. 

"Fuck me." Billy says instead, and Steve is left with the suspicion that Billy means something else. 

Steve kisses him, soundly, and then reaches for the lube. He kisses down Billy's body, leaving kisses over that perfect golden chest, licking at the sexy hipbones, and mouthing at the crease between groin and thigh. Steve glances up at Billy, who looks almost wrecked. Steve hesitates for a moment, and then makes up his mind. 

Billy could decide at any moment that he never wants to see Steve again; the gate could always rip back open. Steve shudders slightly as his dream comes back to him, the image of Billy being eaten by a demodog, while rotten vines keep Steve immobilized, forced to watch the man he adores die. Steve is big enough to admit to himself that he is falling in love with the man spread beneath him. And Steve may never get to say that out loud, so instead he leans in.

He licks a stripe up Billy's cock, and laves at the head for a few moments. Billy pants, and closes his eyes. 

Steve smiles to himself, and moves lower, mouthing at Billy's balls. He moves on when Billy starts panting again, and licks at him before finally reaching Billy's furled hole. 

He glances up again, Billy has one hand in Steve's hair, and the other is resting on his stomach. He's glistening in the low light from the streetlights outside bleeding through the curtains, he's breathing hard, but not quite as worked up as Steve wants. 

He takes a deep breath, and dives in. He licks over the puckered entrance to Billy's body, and grins a bit when Billy jolts in surprise. Steve licks him again, and then seals his lips around the hole, probing his tongue at the opening. 

"Holy fuck!" Billy cries, and half sits up. He gapes at Steve, who just splays his fingers across Billy's hip. He continues to lick at Billy, and Billy quickly gets worked up. He flings himself back to the bed, and fists a hand in his own hair. Steve feels smug, before continuing to eat Billy out. Billy is thrashing on the bed, and moaning. 

Steve has gotten Billy loose and messy with spit, so he moves away enough to work a finger in alongside his tongue. Billy keens and his hips stutter. 

Steve works two fingers in, and kisses and sucks around them. Billy is getting more and more wound up. Steve works his own hips against the bedspread, and watches Billy's eyelashes flutter. 

"Steve…." Billy says, and Steve crooks his fingers, finding Billy's prostate. Billy gasps, and begins to thrash on the bed. Steve continues to lick around his fingers, and rub them against Billy's prostate. 

"Stevie…. Baby…. I'm gonna, I'm gonna come, and you wanted to fuck me." Billy babbles. "Baby, sweetheart, Stevie, I'm gonna…" Steve doesn't respond except to move his fingers faster, and to mouth at Billy's balls. 

"Steve!!" Billy screams, literally screams, and spurts all over his own chest. He comes so hard, some cum lands on his chin. Steve ruts his hips against the bedspread, once, twice, watching Billy coming down, and spills all over his nice comforter. 

Steve climbs up Billy's body, licking up the cum spattered on his chest, and then kisses him. He laps up the cum on Billy’s chin and then smiles down at him. He kisses him again. Billy is panting still, and can barely return the kiss. Steve flops onto the side, and throws a leg over Billy's hips, an arm across his chest, and cuddles close. 

Fuck buddies probably don't do this, but he wants to hold Billy, just for a moment. He tucks his face into Billy's neck and brushes a kiss against the sweaty skin. 

It takes Billy a few moments, but eventually a hand tangles in his hair, and the other comes up to hold his arm. 

"You didn't finish." Billy murmurs.

"Yeah I did." Steve whispers. 

"Really? From eating my ass?" Billy asks, trying for shock, but just sounding sated. Steve chuckles. 

"You have no idea how hot you looked like that. Of course, I finished." Steve whispers. Billy grins goofily, and pulls Steve closer. 

"Will you sleep here?" Steve whispers, taking a risk. 

"Baby, you could ask me to commit murder, and after what you just did, I'd say yes." Billy says, eyes already drooping. Steve grins and then gets up. 

Billy whines in his throat and cracks his eyes open. 

"Hush babe. I'm grabbing some blankets that aren’t cum stained." Steve says, and then pulls off the soiled comforter. He grabs a large fluffy blanket and pulls on his boxers. Billy had done the same, and Steve settles the blanket over them before curling back into Billy. 

Billy kisses his forehead and snuggles close. Steve is almost certain that isn't something fuck bodies do but he's not complaining at all. 

"You have a magic tongue Harrington, and I'm pissed you haven’t used it until now." Billy grumbles. Steve laughs and kisses Billy's shoulder. 

"A man has to have his secrets." Steve says. Billy laughs and pulls the blanket up closer. 

"Night baby." Billy murmurs, and is snoring a beat later. 

"Night, love." Steve whispers, and follows suit. 

+1. _Steve is running, again._

_"Billy!" He screams, and sees the golden-haired boy turn. "Baby, behind you!"_

_Billy turns, just in time to see the demodog launch at him, snarling. Billy screams, and goes down, wrestling it._

_"No! Billy! No, no, no!" Steve screams, pounding down the endless high school hallway to get to him._

_Billy turns to look at him._

_"Stevie!" He cries. "Help me!" He's got the demodog around the throat, and his perfect, sexy arms are straining against the weight of the snarling hell beast above him. He's losing, and Steve is still so far away._

_"Billy!" Steve screams, but it's too late. The demodog lunges forward and goes for Billy's chest._

_"No!" Steve screams, and reaches Billy finally. He swings his bat at the demodog and knocks it off Billy, it yelps and runs away. "No no no. Baby, no!" Steve cries, dropping down to flutter his hands around Billy's wound. Billy's eyelids flutter, and tears pour down Steve's face._

_"Stevie, wake up." Billy says. Steve sobs._

_"It's not a dream baby. I'm sorry." Steve says, brushing some gold curls back._

_"Stevie, come on, come back. Wake up." Billy says. Steve sobs._

_"You're leaving me." He cries. Billy gasps, and points to the side. Demodogs are gathering, and Steve clutches Billy's body to him._

_"Leave us alone! Leave me alone!" Steve screams._

_"Baby, come on. Wake up!" Billy cries. The demodogs lunge, and Steve buries his face in Billy's hair, bracing himself._

He sits bolt upright and frantically feels around the bed for his bat. 

"Easy, easy, baby. I'm right here." Billy says, reaching out to Steve. Steve fumbles for his arm and then grabs it in a death grip.

"Billy?" Steve whispers. 

"Yeah baby, I'm right here." Billy whispers, smiling slightly. Steve clings to him and looks around wildly. The room is shadowed and the breeze from the open window flutters the curtain. Steve yelps and scrambles for Billy. "Hey, shhhh it's ok honey. I'm right here. It's ok baby." Billy soothes. Steve doesn't release his death grip on Billy's arm. 

"It's not safe. You're dying." Steve breathes. Billy frowns but then smooths his face out. 

"No baby. It's ok, you're safe. We are in your apartment, in LA, in bed. Remember? We went to grab food with Jonathan and Nancy, and then came back here to sleep? I was in the other room studying, heard ya screaming. I’m right here baby. I'm not dying honey." Billy soothes, and reaches over to rub a hand up and down Steve's back. 

"Billy, I'm scared." Steve whispers. 

"Ok. It's ok baby." Billy whispers and then moves a little. Steve panics and clings tighter. "Shhhh easy, I'm not goin anywhere. Hang on. Can you let go for just a second, I'm right here." Billy soothes, and gently pries Steve's fingers off his arm. Steve is hyperventilating, eyes going a little wild. 

Billy props up the pillows and leans back against the headboard and the pillows. He gently eases Steve back onto his chest. He loops his arms over Steve's shoulder and rubs his arms. Steve reaches up and clutches Billy's arms. Billy hooks his legs over Steve's and nuzzles into his hair. 

"Breathe for me baby. It's ok." Billy whispers. Steve takes a small panicked breath. "Shhhhh, it's ok. I'm here, I got ya. Nothing can get to you with me here. They are gonna have to go through me." Billy swears. Steve gasps and goes rigid. 

"No, no, no. I tried Billy. I wasn’t fast enough, it got you, I couldn't save you. No, Billy." Steve pants, and Billy holds him tighter.

"Baby, nothing got me. I'm ok. Sweetheart, I'm ok." Billy whispers. 

Steve sucks in another breath and Billy holds him tight. "Ok, breathe with me. It's ok. I got ya." Billy says, taking a deep breath. Steve does his best to match it. 

"I called Max yesterday, and talked to her for a while. She said she might come visit me, which would be awesome, but I'd have to kick Liz out for a few days if Max stays with me. Liz is not very kid friendly." Billy rambles, rubbing his hands on Steve's chest, trying to get the tension to ease. "She told me about some of the shit she and her friends went through, and damn Harrington, image of you fighting monsters: hot." 

Steve is focused on the rise and fall of Billy's chest, and the rumble of his voice in Steve's ear as he talks. He doesn't really listen to the words, more the cadence, the way Billy forms each one. Steve digs his nails into the meat of Billy's arms, needing to ground himself, to prove that Billy is here, and alive. 

"Can we call Max?" Steve whispers suddenly.

"Uh, baby, it’s like three am in Hawkins..." Billy says. Steve frowns a bit. 

"The Party is having a sleep over; I saw Dustin's snapchat. Can we call them, please? I gotta know." Steve stops, swallows. "I gotta know they are ok." Steve breathes. Billy sighs, and disentangles one of his arms to grab his phone. 

He hits the screen a few times and then holds it to his ear. 

"Hi Max. Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, did I wake you?" Billy whispers. There's a pause. 

"Ok good. I've got someone here who needs to talk to you." Billy says and then hands the phone to Steve, who fumbles with it but manages to press it to his ear. Billy snakes his arm back around Steve, looping it around his chest to rub at Steve's shoulder, enough pressure to be grounding. 

"Max?" Steve whispers, voice breaking. 

"Steve?! Are you ok?" Max whispers, and then there's a rustle. "Guys!" She hisses. "Guys, wake the fuck up. It's Steve. He sounds rough." There's some grumbling from the other end of the line. 

"You're on speaker Stevie. Can you put us on speaker too?" Max says gently. Steve takes the phone away from his ear and puts it on speaker too. 

"Hey kids." Billy says, lying the phone on Steve's thigh, and letting Steve clutch his arm again.  
"Sorry to bug ya, we are having a little bit of a tough night." 

"What the fuck is your older brother doing with Steve?" Mike hisses. There's a soft thump and a chuckle, like he got clobbered with a pillow. 

"Just forget it, at least he isn't alone." Max gripes. And then takes a deep breath.

"I'll start. Hi Steve. This is Max, I'm safe and sound in Hawkins, sitting in the Wheeler's basement. There are no demodogs, no Mind Flayer and no scientists. I'm not bleeding, and I'm not dying." Max says with practiced ease. "I got an A on my math test Billy!" She pipes up. 

"Proud of you kid!" Billy says, softly, voice a little mystified. 

"Heya Steve. This is Will, I'm also safe and sound in Mike's basement. No monsters here, except for the bed head on Dustin's head." Will says, and laughs when Dustin shrieks indignantly. "I'm not possessed anymore, and I miss you so much. Come visit us soon." There is a rustle as the phone is passed closer to someone else. 

"Hi Steve. This is Mike. I'm safe and tired in my basement. No monsters, no Mind Flayers, and no labs. We were playing DnD, but Dustin doesn't care about the campaign." 

"Hi Stevie. I miss you so much. Max said she might fly out and visit Billy, maybe I can come too!" Dustin chirps, doing his weird trill thing. "I'm safe, you haven't failed me, ok buddy? I'm alive and safe. So, are you, you are in your apartment in LA, in bed and you're safe. So am I, promise." Dustin says, and Steve finally unlocks a little. Billy holds him tight, but is relived that his arms are no longer in the vice like grip of Steve. 

"Hi Steve. This is Lucas, I'm safe, so is Max. We miss you, DnD night isn't the same without you rolling your eyes at Mike. I'm not trapped with you, ok? I'm safe, and so is Max. We all are." 

"Hi Steve." A soft lilting voice says. "I miss you. I'm glad Billy is there with you, I checked. You both are safe. The gate is closed, and nothing has escaped, and nothing is left out here. Is Billy taking care of you?" El asks. Steve blows out a breath slowly. 

"Yes, he is." He whispers. 

"Good. I'll let Max talk to you." El whispers and passes the phone to Max. 

"Y'all are off speaker. Billy, your turn." She says. 

"My turn?" Billy asks. 

"Yeah, when Steve has really bad nightmares, we all tell him we are safe. Your turn." She says. Billy takes a deep breath and shifts, looking at Steve's face.

"Hey baby. I'm safe, I'm not hurt, whatever your mind made you see, isn't actually happening. I'm here, and I'm safe." Billy whispers, bringing Steve's hands up to his bare chest, to his heart. "I'm here, and there is nothing that can get you, not with me around, ok? I got you, baby." Billy whispers. Steve looks at Billy for a long moment. 

"I love you." Steve whispers. And then blushes and hides his face in Billy's chest.

Billy blinks. And then tugs Steve up to look at him.

"I love you too sweetheart." Billy says, and kisses Steve gently.

"I'm gonna go ahead and guess that you guys forgot I'm still on the phone. Billy, Steve gets dreams that the monsters we fought when y’all were in high school are attacking us. My guess would be that he's started seeing you dying too and can't get to you in time to save you. Take care of him, ok?" Max says and then hangs up. 

"Is that true Steve?" Billy asks. Steve nods. 

"I can't get to you. I run, and scream your name but I can't get to you, not in time." Steve says, leaning into Billy's hand when the other cups his face. 

"I'm right here sweetheart. I'm not goin anywhere and I'm not hurt. Ok? And I'm never gonna let anything get to you, ok baby?" Billy breathes. Steve wriggles closer and curls against Billy's chest. Billy buries his nose in Steve's hair and holds him close. 

"I can protect you." Steve whispers, fingers curling into a fist against Billy's bare chest. "I won't let anything hurt you." 

Billy holds him tight. 

"I know baby. I know. But you can let your boyfriend protect you sometimes too." Billy whispers. 

"Boyfriend?" Steve whispers, tilting his head up to look at Billy. 

"That ok? I love you. I don't wanna date anyone else." Billy breathes. Steve smiles. 

"As long as you help me chase the nightmares away." Steve whispers. Billy leans down and kisses Steve's lips gently. 

"Sounds fair. Wait. Is this why you booty called me? Because of nightmares?" He asks.

Steve nods. “Yeah. You’re the only thing that keeps them away.” 

“Well, baby. I ain’t goin’ anywhere, I’ll happily chase your nightmares away.” Billy croons. 

Steve smiles and curls back up into Billy, letting the boy hold him and chase away any lingering fear as they both fall asleep again. 

As Steve drifts off, safe in Billy’s arms, he feels a flare of triumph at finally not having to pretend to be in Billy’s embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Come scream at me on Tumblr about Harringrove [here!](https://hippiebuckyharrington.tumblr.com/)  
> Also, when Steve asked who would major in Geography, the answer is me, I am majoring in Geography. I am a huge nerd, and am the type of person who finishes my Geo labs early.


End file.
